Trump Family At White House; President Trump And First Lady To Attend Three Inaugural Balls; Trump At White House Preparing For Inaugural Balls; Trump Signs His First Executive Orders; Trump Signs Executive Order To "Ease Burden Of Obamacare; Aired 7-8p ET

Aired January 20, 2017 - 19:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: -- about to continue with a very special Erin Burnett OutFront.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: And party is just getting started right here in the nation's capital. We are live at the inaugural galas which begin this hour, honoring the new President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. I'm Erin Burnett and we are OutFront tonight. We are at the Armed Services Ball, everyone gathering here already. The Trumps are about to hit the town for the first time as America's first family and it will be a family affair tonight.

We are waiting to see President and Mrs. Trump make their big entrance. They are going to attend three official inaugural galas tonight. One of them of course where we are sitting, Mr. Trump will be speaking at all three events and they will dance at all three events as well. We know the couple's first dance will be to the Frank Sinatra song he has made clear over the campaign trail that he love, my way. We don't know though the answer to one of the burning questions on this evening as it always is, is what will the first lady wear, what will Melania Trump have on tonight?

We'll see if she can top that Ralph Lauren suit, elegant and gorgeous that she had on earlier. We are covering it all, the first family, the fashion, the entertainment including a performance tonight by the legendary Rockettes. Let's bring in Anderson Cooper at another ball, the freedom ball. And you're going to have tens of thousands of people where you are tonight, Anderson.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. It's a huge venue here at the Convention Hall and there is something new for the Trump administration to celebrate tonight, the full senate, we should tell you, voted a short while ago to confirm two of President Trump's cabinet nominees, General James Mattis as Defense Secretary and General Jon Kelly as Homeland Security Secretary. So that already a big move for the Trump administration. This is just hours after the new Commander-in-Chief took the oath of office, delivered what many called a dark, very populist inaugural address, he echoed his campaign theme of America First, once again offering a pretty gloomy view of certain parts of the country right now.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For too many of our citizens, a different reality exists. Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities. Rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation. An education system flush with cash but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge. And the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

COOPER: It is surely been a long day for the Trumps. The Trumps are now heading into the final round of inauguration events with the parade wrapping up a short while ago. There were some pockets of protests and clashes with police. More than 200 people were arrested. But the crowds for the inauguration appear to be smaller than they were four years ago, certainly, but certainly a lot to celebrate for the Trump family, for all of America today, as hundreds of thousands of people came to Washington, D.C., to take part in this historic and peaceful transfer of power.

I'm here with John King to talk about the day that we saw, the speech that we heard. Certainly, it was an inaugural address unlike any that I've ever heard or that I know about.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was trademark Trump and he was unlike any candidate in our lifetime and was consistent in that speech. We're in this room because now it's time for the president, his family and his supporters to celebrate. What was written off as possible, a Trump election victory where he's now the 45th President of the United States. Tonight is a celebration of that change for the president, his family and the supporters.

And all day we have seen the first nuggets, the first evidence of that change. You mentioned two of the first cabinet picks being confirmed, the Republican President getting two of his picks through the republican congress. He says he told our Jim Acosta a bit earlier he's going to work on some orders tonight. We don't know exactly what those are yet, dramatic executive orders or tinkering at first but we have been told throughout the weekend we will get more.

The justice department, his justice department -- the Trump Justice Department has now delayed action on a couple cases around the country, saying they need time to get their team in place. Are they going to change the course the Obama administration set or they just need a little time to study the paperwork? We don't know the answers to those questions yet but we could go on and on. Some of this change will be swift, some will be incremental but make no mistake about it, as they party tonight, we live in a new Washington and a new America after that speech that you mentioned.

It was kind of dark, it was pessimistic. Throughout the campaign democrats complained Donald Trump was painting a harsher portrait of America that exists but it was one of the reasons he won, especially the hollowed-out factory, very populist, not a republican speech, a populist speech to put America first.

COOPER: A lot to talk about ahead, a lot to celebrate tonight, three official inaugural balls that the Trumps will be visiting each one. We're all of course going to bring all of that to you. Derrick Glassburg from CNN Style is with us as well. We're going to be talking about the fashion of what Melania Trump wore today. She looked amazing at the -- at the inaugural during the parade. We'll see her tonight as well. Right now let's go back to Erin Burnett.

BURNETT: All right, Anderson. And of course, one thing we know is she's going to look amazing no matter what she wears. So that's just simply the way it is with Melania Trump. Don Lemon, Dana Bash are with me. When we talk though, it's more about half an hour away everyone from the formal beginning of these balls. And I want everyone to know, you got people gathering, they're gathering, they're already having a good time.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: They look great.

BURNETT: One of the special thing is everybody is dressed to the nines. It is floor-length ball gowns. Even we are in those, which is a special and neat thing. And, you know, a very classic.

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: You always wear that on OutFront.

BURNETT: Yes. I mean, come on, that's the way I dress. But Dana, there were a couple moments today that stood out to me. One as he was walking down the Capitol steps, looking so serious as if it was really striking home to him, but then he saw that camera and he turned to it and he gave it a smile, you know, he knew -- he was playing to the cameras then. But what is this day for him? Has it truly sunk in for him?

BASH: OK. I just came here from the parade and I was across from the viewing station, viewing area which right in front of the White House. And he certainly has had fun on the campaign trail, but I've never seen him having as much fun as he seemed to be having watching him as the parade went by. I mean, It was really remarkable. Surrounded by his family, his children, his grandchildren, and, you know, getting up as often as he could to give the salute, which he practiced to make sure he didn't mess it up, and so of course.

I mean, this is a remarkable, unbelievable day for any human being to become the leader of the free world, especially somebody as unlikely as Donald Trump. I mean, you covered him when he was a businessman. Can you imagine that he was president, he would be the 45th president today?

BURNETT: You know -- you know, looking back there were always moments I think he wanted to be and had a dream but he certainly didn't ever think that he would follow through on that dream. But, you know, Don, one of the things when she talks about the parade, seeing people getting ready to go to the parade, you know, they were dressed, they were -- make America great hats everywhere in this town. In the hotel -- and yes, there were pockets of protests, but most people that were here were here to celebrate him.

LEMON: They were here to celebrate him. It was interesting because everyone talked about the crowd estimates and what have you. So the people who were out there didn't matter how many people showed up. They were happy that they were here and, you know, because people have been comparing it to 2009 and 2013. They were happy that they were. But what stood out most to me was the moment, this moment right here when they got out of the car, which is in front of the Trump Hotel and Tower in Washington, D.C., and with their son Barron who people have been so interested in.

He's tall, handsome, you know, 10-year-old kid that you don't see that much of and of course Melania Trump is going to stay in New York to be with him because he doesn't want to uproot him from school, which a good mother would do. But what that sort of I think exemplified was how much of a role family plays is going to play in this particular administration with this particular president from a 10-year-old child on up to his sons in their 30s.

BURNETT: And, you know, he's all been about his family. But, you know, talking to Tom Barrack who is of course the Chairman of the Inaugural Committee the other day, before it started I said, well, how involved will they be? And he said, let me make this clear to you, Erin, this is a family affair.

BASH: Of course.

BURNETT: And Donald Trump sees it that way. He doesn't see that he was elected as Donald Trump. He was elected as Trump and Trump to him includes his children, very much so, and of course his son-in-law.

BASH: Absolutely. And I think one of the many fascinating things that we're going to be watching and studying and learning as he does over the next weeks and months is how he transforms the way he operates as a the CEO from CEO of a very intimate not very large when it comes to staff, business that you're so familiar with, that you covered for so many years, to the biggest business on the planet, the United States government, the United States economy, with people far and wide that he's never met, never mind that they're not related to him with the last name Trump.

And that is going to be, you know, quite an adjust -- it's an adjustment for anybody but somebody who thinks he -- that he knows and genuinely does have the experience as a Chief Executive, it's going to be quite a --

LEMON: One of the big differences with this so is accountability. When you're the CEO of your own company, you start to own your own company --

BURNETT: Especially a private company.

LEMON -- you can pretty much do what you want. The whole ball field is yours. But this ball field actually belongs to the American people and in many ways the world and he's accountable not only to himself, to the American people, and to the world.

BURNETT: Right. Point he made in his speech. But of course, you think when you're president of the free world you can do whatever you want. That is not how it works as president after president learns. All right. Well, as I told you, we're less than half an hour away from the formal beginning of these balls as they're gathering where we are, where Anderson is. Ahead, we're covering the excitement, the glamour and the fashion as President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visit tonight's inaugural balls.

They don't have a lot of time to change. You'll see entertainers like the world famous Rockettes and the first dance by the first couple. We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: And welcome back. The end of an extraordinary day of American history. We're back live. Our coverage of the inaugural balls, the galas celebrating -- celebrations honoring President Donald Trump tonight. We're joined now by the presidential -- excuse me, the presidential inauguration committee chair, Tom Barrack who's a long- time personal friend of President Trump, the man responsible for planning today's events. First of all, congratulations. How do you feel everything went today?

TOM BARRACK, CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION COMMITTEE: Thank god we avoided disaster and so I'm really -- no, it went -- it went beautifully. You know, that moment, it's so impactful and emotional I think for viewers too. As you're looking down the mall and you see this transition from one great man who was president, President Obama, and 30 seconds to the hope and aspirations of another great man, President Trump, and you look at Washington and Lincoln and Jefferson and the passages. In the meantime, you have to be emotional.

COOPER: And using the Lincoln bible which Donald Trump did. I mean, you've known Donald Trump since the mid-80s. As you saw him, you know, up on the west side of the capitol, taking that oath of office, what did you -- what went through your mind?

BARRACK: What went through my mind is the compassion that president Obama must have felt as that power, the heaviness of that just rotated to him and the responsibility of President Trump saying I'm now the president for all of the people. This is no longer candidacy, this is no longer a campaign. And that's a huge responsibility. And that -- I think it first set in on him at Arlington yesterday.

ANDERSON: I was going to ask because a lot of past presidents have talked about kind of a moment when the weight of the office or the real -- I mean, obviously, he's been preparing for this, but you don't know what it's going to feel like until it's happening. You think at Arlington there was something that --

BARRACK: Oh, for sure. And look, this -- he's a very sensitive man, in spite of what people might think, he's very -- he's very sensitive, he's very -- he's very soulful, but he's been in Trump Tower.

So this President-elect cycle is a little odd, right? Because he doesn't really have any power or prestige. He can't lobby with congress and he's sitting in the environment in which he was a candidate. And I think rotating into that setting and when he went to Arlington and thought of the lives and the souls that went to sacrifice for this moment of contested contest, it got him. I know it got him.

COOPER: Also I keep thinking of, you know, reviewing the troops today and just going down that parade route and seeing all those military personnel, service members, standing at attention, saluting him, that has got to be such an extraordinary moment for someone who, you know, one of the historic things about Donald Trump is that, you know, he hasn't served in government, he hasn't served in the military unlike, you know, every other president in one way or another. And so to have that experience just it's got to be an extraordinary feeling.

BARRACK: And, you know, I think when he looks at that and you look at these young men and women and is -- right? I went and wanted to enlist. If you take old guys because I'm ready, right? I mean, their cadence, their character, their courage.

COOPER: Extraordinary.

BARRACK: Structure. Amazing. And on the other hand, his feeling when we talked about this, you know, these balls are a tribute to the donors and the supporters and as it should be, and with his touch being elegance and bringing back a touch of sophistication to Washington and it's all his fingerprint. But the thing that he was the most concerned with in telling me what to do is, look, the people who got me here are the people who are not at this ball.

They're the people who are on the third shift working for 14.50 someplace that have two jobs, four kids, four people in the house, and that's who we need to tribute. So figure out what we can do for them. And I thought, you know, it's all going to be OK. The difficulty of going from candidate to governing is complicated. He hasn't got his teammate yet. I mean, I think we have -- we have two confirmed appointees tonight, which is -- which is terrific. So I think it's about let him get his team in order, let everybody celebrate the moment of democracy.

I mean, this is a celebration of an inauguration, not in the man but of really the people in the process. Give him a chance. Let's all communicate the point of view that we have, good or bad. I was running along the parade route and the most amazing thing to me of the day, the protesters, most of them were great. And to say you can have a country where somebody just took power and you're going down the street and you have protesters and supporters side by side not fighting, not arguing, having abusive signs, some dialogue, this is America. It's a -- it's a beautiful thing. It's not a -- it's not a troublesome thing.

COOPER: And to see Melania Trump, I mean, not only did she look extraordinary today, but that's got to be such a huge shift for her. I mean, she probably never expected, you know, when she first met Donald Trump that this is where it would -- it would lead to. But that is a huge -- you know, she has big shoes to fill and she's certainly doing it with elegance and grace and in the months ahead like many first ladies she will determine what she wants her role to be, what she wants her causes to be. It often takes first ladies months to sort of figure out what they want to focus their attentions on.

BARRACK: Yes. And she -- I mean she's an ultimate class act. And remember, it's kind of against all odds that they got here, so they weren't building up a reservoir of talent that was available. She's so good and she's her own person. I mean, Michelle was fantastic and at the beginning Camelot to a lot of people and carved her own sculptures to who she wanted to be and -- but Melania will do the same thing in a different way. She's so capable and so confident such a good partner to him.

And by the way, her common sense is a very toning voice with him. So people think that she may remain off in the shadows, that's not how it is at all. She's very influential with him. She's very smart.

COOPER: What should we expect tonight? I mean, you're in charge of all of -- there's three official balls, the Liberty Ball, Freedom Ball where we're at, and also a ball for service members and first responders. What are some of the highlights? What do you -- what do you hope people get out of this tonight, watching and who are here?

BARRACK: What I hope they get is that this is the first global fingerprint of this President-elect on how he does things. Right? So making any sort of venues or entertainment is like building a necklace because you have diamonds and rubies and sapphires and you don't want to concentrate on any one of them. You want a seamless chain in which you look at necklace. And I think yesterday in the mall the concert rocked it.

Of course both west coast celebrities, you know, everybody was saying that they denied playing but they turned us down, we never offered any of them that venue, so there was this kind of edge.

COOPER: I talked to a lot of folks who were there had a great time.

BARRACK: Yes. I think it was -- I think it was beautiful, I think it was appropriate, and it was seamless and it was for everybody. I think you're going to find the same thing tonight. So, you know, celebrity ship here -- we all love celebrities and most of them are all of our friends and this will die down. He'll reach out, they'll reach out, it will all be fine. But the real celebrities are Washington.

If you come here and just inhale what's around you, it's overwhelming. President Obama, President Trump, there's not much else that you need. The stage is pretty good. But I think what you're going to see is a seamless display of a necklace that's perfectly appropriate for where we are tonight as wrapping it up for him. He's had a very long day.

COOPER: Are you tempted at all to dip your toe into politics?

BARRACK: I'm so anxious to get back to my day job you can't believe it.

COOPER: Pleasure talking with you.

BARRACK: Thanks, Anderson. You know, I enjoyed it. Thanks. To all of us, thanks.

COOPER: Yes. Stay with us as we bring you the celebrations at the three inaugural galas tonight after a truly historic day. Night, of excitement, glamour, you see the first couple dance, the song Frank Sinatra made famous my way appropriately enough for Donald Trump. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: And we are back with our live coverage of the Trump inaugural galas. Right now we are waiting for President and Mrs. Trump to make their entrance. We're just a few minutes away now. Of course, they ended the parade late but they're going to change and they're going to come and do their first dances at each of the three balls. We right now are sitting at the Armed Services Ball. One of the three formal ones where they will do that dance. The entertainment getting under way soon.

Right here, right now though, we do have some breaking news because while it is about celebration it is also now about policy. Let's go to our Senior White House Correspondent Jim Acosta. And Jim, the President watching that parade, getting ready to come to the balls but stopping in between to do some business.

JIM ACOSTA, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT REPORTER: Oh, that's right, Erin. President Trump went right to work, he went right into the Office Shortly after he departed from the reviewing stand after that inaugural parade and he signed the commissions for General James Mattis, retired General James Mattis to be the new Defense Secretary and Retired General Jon Kelly to be the new Department of Homeland Security Secretary.

In addition to that, Erin, and you're seeing a picture there right now on screen tweeted by the new Press Secretary Sean Spicer, President Trump also signed an executive order and get this -- there aren't many details to it that quote/unquote is to direct agencies to ease the burden of Obamacare. That is all we know at this point from the white house. When it comes to that executive order that the directive to agencies of the federal government is to ease the burden of Obamacare.

The Affordable Care Act, the signature legislative achievement of former President Barack Obama. Now, what we understand is going to take place here in the next several minutes is that General Mattis will be sworn in as Defense Secretary and then I think at that point, Erin, you should start to see the President and first lady show up at some of these balls later on tonight, Erin.

BURNETT: All right. Thanks very much to you, Jim Acosta. And now, what does all this mean when you talk about these orders, these memos? Let's go to Jake tapper and his panel to get some more on that. Jake.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Thank you so much, Erin. Well, let's start with David Axelrod. And David, the idea that one of his first executive actions would be to ease the burden of Obamacare as the transition takes place, I suppose it's not a surprise. This was one of his primary --

DAVID AXELROD And one of the first initiatives of the congress. But theirs has yet to be defined and we need to see what this order is because I think they want to suggest they're going to ease the burden of Obamacare but they don't want to alarm people, millions of millions people who have been the beneficiaries of Obamacare that they're going to be eased out of those -- out of that program. So it will be interesting to see if there's actual teeth to this order or whether it is for purposes of signifying that he is at one with this effort to repeal Obamacare.

TAPPER: And one of our -- one of our reporters in there just to -- just to add a little bit more information, Sean Spicer, the White House Press Secretary, announced this red. The quote that President Trump would be signing these executive orders, one making that as the Secretary of Defense, one making General Secretary of Department of Homeland Security. And this executive order in Obamacare, "To ease the burden of Obamacare as we transition from repeal to replace." And the press asked what does that mean.

[19:30:02] Sean Spicer did not respond and instead called the pool into their first briefing in the White House which is where you saw President Trump in the Oval Office signing these documents.

So, just --

AXELROD: The reality of the situation is it is not easy to do what they say they want to do, which is essentially to keep all of the things people like about the Affordable Care Act and yet repeal it and put it back together again in a way that preserves those features, keeping people with pre-existing conditions, keeping those people with 20 million covered, kids under 26 and all the features that people like. There's a reason why they haven't moved quickly with the replacement.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: They have promised repeatedly they would not pull the rug out from under anyone, and I think that maybe what we're going to see in this executive order is a way to kind of let people know that things won't change until x if so- and-so is approved or maybe they can do something on the regulatory side.

You know, obviously this is something Congress has to deal with. But I think they're reading between the lines here. They may be trying to do something to assuage voters.

(CROSSTALK)

TAPPER: One second. I want to show you the picture, that is retired General James Mattis, Mad Dog Mattis, being sworn in as the secretary of defense. You see Vice President Pence holding the bible there. That photograph having been released.

I'm sorry, Senator Santorum.

RICK SANTORUM, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: One example is having to do with deductibles. There's a key provision that the government -- pays insurance companies to underwrite the cost of these ever increasing deductibles. It's in the law. The Congress has never funded it. And Obama has always funded it to provide that support. I can't imagine that one of the things that President Trump was going

to do, if you look at the people who get that money, it's his voters. I mean, it's working class folks. And so, he's -- now, that could be that provision, I don't know if it is, but I'm saying, that's an example of many of the bells and whistles that are attached to Obamacare that you have to sort of leave in place until you have something to be able to replace it.

BORGER: And they probably want to do something to make sure that the insurance industry is OK so that people are not --

SANTORUM: How many states, 17 states with only one insurance company right now?

BORGER: Exactly. So, they want to make sure that people are not going to lose their insurance no matter what Congress passes.

SANTORUM: That's right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was going to say I think there's probably a limited amount he can do with an executive order. I think it has to be done by the Congress. But it's significant it was the first executive order.

TAPPER: Here's video from the oval office. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REINCE PRIEBUS, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: First, you're going to sign the commissions for General Mattis and General Kelly.

TRUMP: You guys look good. Wow.

This is for General Mattis who is approved today. Where would you like that?

PRIEBUS: Right there.

TRUMP: OK.

PRIEBUS: This is for General Kelly. There's a different pen.

TRUMP: OK.

PRIEBUS: Next is an executive order minimizing the economic burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act pending repeal.

TAPPER: So, there we have President Trump signing his first signings at the resolute desk at the oval office, signing his secretary of defense into office, signing his secretary of homeland security into office, and then some executive action we are not sure what it does or what it is that is supposed to ease the burden as Obamacare is repealed and replaced.

If anybody at the White House is watching, it would be great if you could inform us on what exactly it is. We'd love to report on what exactly it is.

VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: In any hierarchy, you have people like Axelrod in the hierarchy. I was in the low-archy, OK? I was a work bee.

[19:35:01] You can't do stuff like that. If you put some general thing out there with no guidance, it actually hurts the staff because people don't know what to do.

So, this is a troubling -- this is somebody who's a worker bee guy in the White House trying to do a good job every day, the executive orders are everything to you. And so to do some kind of symbolic, interesting, I'm playing to the base -- do a press release, do a speech. Don't do an executive order.

You have 1 million employees in the federal government and you need more than --

TAPPER: Can I say one thing, Senator Santorum? You were an opponent of Obamacare but you also have expressed bafflement, if I may --

SANTORUM: That's the word.

TAPPER: I believe it is. You've expressed bafflement that the Republicans in Congress were not better prepared for this moment when obviously this was going to happen. That Obamacare would be repealed and replaced.

SANTORUM: Yes. No. And they're still working on that up on Capitol Hill. I've been up and talking to folks up there. And they still don't have a plan. I think one of the reasons is ultimately it's not going to be a plan. Ultimately it's going to be a series of steps.

But one of the things they don't want is a comprehensive plan here in Washington, D.C. So it makes it really hard to take something that is a comprehensive plan and do it piece by piece. That's why it's so difficult.

TAPPER: We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, we're going to go back to some of the inaugural balls. Stay with us.

This is CNN's live coverage of the inauguration of President Trump.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:40:34] BURNETT: Welcome back.

We are right now -- there are three big balls. We were looking at the Freedom and Liberty Balls. We have the Armed Services Ball. Entertainment is starting to begin, as you can hear, which is a few moments away. Donald Trump and his wife also coming soon.

I'm joined by Don and Dana, also Kate Betts, the author of "Everyday Icon," a book about Michelle Obama and her fashion.

Let us start with interior design. This is important.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I love that she turns to me. Thank you.

BURNETT: As Donald Trump is signing memos, his executive orders. There he is.

OK, so, they always change the carpet. He changed the carpet. It's a sun burst pattern. The curtains were a maroon red, they are now gold.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Shocking. Everything's gold.

BURNETT: OK. And there are new couches. They are brocade, no longer gray suede.

BASH: What color are the couches? Can we see? Are they gold?

LEMON: A goldish hue.

BURNETT: He loves gold.

BASH: He wants to be comfortable. Exactly.

He wants to feel at home. He's been in his office in Trump Tower for how many years, many, many years, where he feels comfortable surrounded by the decor, which is gold. So, I mean, would you expect anything different?

LEMON: New carpet is a sun burst pattern and a bust of Winston Churchill positioned on the side.

BURNETT: Exactly what you would expect, Kate.

KATE BETTS, AUTHOR: Exactly.

BURNETT: As Dana and I were joking when we learned this he was literally measuring the drapes but he wanted to go in and they made these changes, putting in the couch, everything, just during the parade this afternoon.

BETTS: Moving day. It's moving day. This is the emotional tone of the White House. He's using style to set the emotional tone of the White House.

That's what the first lady usually does. That's the first lady's job usually with her style. But the president is going for it.

BURNETT: I will say knowing a lot of people who have worked with Donald Trump on his projects over the years, Donald Trump cares about this stuff deeply, he cares about the design, he cares about the carpet. This is not -- these were his decisions, this is what he wanted to do.

LEMON: His office at Trump Tower, it's a really nice -- the view is amazing, but it is -- it's not as neat and tidy as one would think because he has mementos and things all over.

BURNETT: All right. The color guard is starting at one of the inaugural balls. Let's listen into that.

(BAND PLAYING)

BURNETT: You just heard the festivities kick off with national anthem. The night has begun. We're going to hear the Rockettes later tonight. The first dance will be "My Way" by Frank Sinatra.

LEMON: I can't wait to see them dance. I really want to see that dance. Look at just the staging here. It's so beautiful. It's like the oval office here. You have the flags. Look at what's behind us. It's just spectacular and I think magnificent and majestic to look at. You can't help but be patriotic when you see that.

BURNETT: I mean, it is, you know, you could see that with Mike Pence today, how emotional he was. One thing I know from a source, an impeccable source on this particular topic, Donald Trump did not want to practice his first dance, so he did not.

[19:45:00] BASH: Now, I want to know who your source is.

(CROSSTALK)

BASH: He was bopping a little bit to the music last night -- was it last night? At the Lincoln Memorial. He's got it.

LEMON: God bless America, right?

BASH: Yes.

BURNETT: She danced many times before, so --

BASH: She danced before and she can walk down the red carpet. She's got the steps down.

BURNETT: She's walked the whole day in four-inch heels, Kate. Anybody who can do that --

BETTS: The heels in Washington just went up by about three inches.

LEMON: I don't know if you caught this but when the former first lady, Mrs. Obama, and the former second lady, if you want to call her that, walking down the stairs and her heels are clicking and Mrs. Obama made a quip about heels. I don't know exactly what she said but she said something about heels.

What I find interesting is that it's so easy for us guys, right? You just go to Brooks Brothers or somewhere and say give me a black tuxedo, right? But the ladies have to really change every single time. And Melania --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In service to and respect --

BURNETT: The festivities are beginning here at the armed services ball as well. Let's listen in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- Vice President Mike Pence, let us pray.

Our Father in Heaven, look down upon this most significant occasion. Look upon this assemblyed brotherhood and lay your divine blessings upon each and every soul, without consideration of rank, office, or privilege. And Our Father, supreme overall, patron of order, fountain of justice, protector in all ages of the world of virtuous liberty, continue your blessings upon this nation.

We ask you, Father, to include those absent in death from this gathering, those who freely answered your call as we read in Isaiah 6:8 -- and I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I sinned who will go for us, then said I, here I am, send me.

In that most holy assembly, I include my son, an army ranger. I include every soul for whom a Gold Star is worn and for whom tears are daily shed. I include those fallen heroes who responded first and gave the last full measure of themselves, those fearless men and women who run into the storm of tribulation, not from it. Into your peace we commend them one and all.

Almighty God, bestow your blessings upon those we honor who are with us still but have sacrificed a portion of themselves by injury or wound. Heal the heart first and then comfort the body. Father God, we hold up for your blessing, your grace, forgiveness and guidance our commander in chief, his family, and their protectors. The vice president and his family and protectors that this great nation may prosper in your glory, remain at peace through your strength, and be ever vigilant in your righteousness.

And finally, from the depths of our heart, father, watch over every man and woman in uniform who hold the line between peace and chaos. Bless every first responder, every police officer, every firefighter, every sergeant upon whom the army rolls, every gunning in the heart of every marine, every seaman standing watch and every chief in charge for the coast guard and the navy, and every airman and pilot who touch the face of God.

We ask these things in Christ Jesus' name and everyone said, amen.

BURNETT: An emotional beginning to the armed services ball. Only about 2,500 members of the military, fist responders, will be here where we are seated today. The balls are beginning.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:53:37] COOPER: And welcome back to what a day it has been. We're back to CNN's coverage of the Trump inaugural ball, a glamorous grand finale to a historic day here in Washington.

I'm Anderson Cooper. This is a special edition of "AC360" live from the Freedom Ball, one of three official inaugural balls. There's also the Liberty Ball and the Armed Services Ball.

I'm joined by CNN's John King, Kate Andersen Brower, CNN contributor and author of "First Women", and also Derek Blasberg, host of CNN Style.

Let's talk about some of the styles we saw today. We have to start with Melania Trump, Derek.

DEREK BLASBERG, CNN STYLE: I think we all expected Melania Trump to look gorgeous, she's a gorgeous woman today. But I can't emphasize the sort of pressure it was for her to do something American and fabulous and memorable. I think she did a great job. I think she's a real pillbox hat tipoff to Jackie Kennedy today.

COOPER: A first lady who she has said that she admired and --

BLASBERG: It doesn't come as a surprise. We thought she was going to emulate that. It was a surprise she went with Ralph Lauren, who Hillary Trump had worn several times through the election cycle.

COOPER: Hillary Clinton.

BLASBERG: Hillary Clinton wore through the election cycle, because Michelle Obama tried to usher in new designer, Jason Wu she wore at the first, the second inauguration. And today, she departed on the helicopter. It was unexpected for Melania for her to go for a tried- and-true designer but not off brand for the Trumps.

[19:55:03] COOPER: I mean, Ralph Lauren, an iconic American designer, has really exemplified America through his fashions through the years.

BLASBERG: He is the American dream, which I think a lot of people have sort of compared Donald to on this election cycle. Ivanka Trump looked fabulous today as well. She's wearing a white Oscar de la Renta, more of cream Oscar de la Renta pantsuit. Few people were speculating if there was some symbolism in the idea of Ivanka who's made it known she'll be involved in this presidency, wearing a pantsuit.

I did some research and Jenna Bush did wear pants to her father's inauguration in 2005.

COOPER: Where does one find that research?

BLASBERG: You don't know the places I go to find things.

COOPER: Is that something John King helps you with?

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Feel free to chime in at any moment talking about fashion here, John.

KING: I don't know much about fashion but to the point about Ralph Lauren, this is a bit of a throwback generationally. Donald Trump is an older president than Obama, Clinton, or George W. Bush. We had younger presidents.

And I think that's part of what we'll see in the culture, in their mannerisms, in the way they communicate and that's something that Washington will have to get used to and I think the world of style and culture is going to have to as well.

COOPER: I think your point about Ralph Lauren, he is interesting, he's created this iconic brand from nothing. One of the great brands in I should point out I'm wearing Ralph Lauren tonight as well as I usually do. But I mean he really has in many ways that sort of Donald Trump mold.

BLASBERG: Ralph Lauren was born Ralph Lifshitz in the Bronx. He never played polo. He invented this iconic brand.

In terms -- I mean, you focus so much on how the White House works and first ladies. It takes a while for first lady to kind of figure out who they want to emulate, how they want to kind of set their own path.

KATE ANDERSON BROWER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Getting to her outfit, I was take within the suede gloves she wore because that is going back in time. We don't see that anymore. Jackie Kennedy wore suede, you know, gloves all the time. Lady Bird Johnson would say it looks like they were painted on her, it was so effortless. And I think we saw that today.

And yes, I think it's gong to take Melania some time. I know she's feeling pressure right now following Michelle Obama's footsteps, not easy.

COOPER: Even Michelle Obama, it took her months to figure out her role and what kind of a first lady --

BROWER: It did.

BLASBERG: It's impressive she's choosing to stay in New York.

BROWER: Yes, I think she's drawing a line in the sand for herself and her family. I think some would say it's about time a first lady be able to decide where they live and what they're doing with their lives. I do think that tonight, though, I'm really curious to see what message she sends with this dress, because if you go back and see Rosalynn Carter wore the same dress she wore to her husband's inauguration as governor.

BLASBERG: I think she wore it six times. Maybe Melania --

BROWER: She will not do that. No, that she will not do.

COOPER: The photograph that was on the front page of "The New York Times" today and also "The Wall Street Journal" was of Donald Trump and Melania Trump getting off I think it was an air force plane arriving in Washington and Melania Trump looked amazing. I don't know what she was wearing. Like a dark outfit.

But she knows what she likes. I mean, obviously, she's a model. But she has a very good sense of herself.

BLASBERG: I don't want to underestimate the power of style in the role as the first lady. In New York City, billions of dollars of commerce are generated by what Michelle Obama wore. She could make or break a designer's career. So I think Melania's smart to acknowledge and respect that sort of power.

COOPER: In terms of how a first lady goes about sort of defining their role, how have first ladies in the past done it?

BROWER: I think the Melania outfit you're talking about from yesterday is really interesting because the designer was the daughter of a vet who was injured in service. That signaled she cares about what she's wearing, because I think right now we see someone who's a reluctant first lady, not moving here, the first time we've had a first lady not move to the White House since the White House was built, since Abigail Adams. So, I think by signaling that she does care about what she's wearing I think shows she thinking this through.

COOPER: She's also a very strong woman. I've interviewed her a number of times. And I mean, at one point, she said to me, look, people should not feel sorry for me. Like I'm in control of things. She knows what she wants. She knows what she's doing.

KING: A successful brand in her own right. People say she's Donald Trump's wife. She's had a successful career as a model, has a successful career in the runway. I think the most fascinating question is I think she is winning applause for saying my son's in school, he's 10, the youngest child in the White House since John Kennedy Jr. I believe. Let's see what happens next year.